


scar tissue.

by shuyiin



Category: Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 18:04:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11879907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuyiin/pseuds/shuyiin
Summary: Tidus helps Auron for a change.





	scar tissue.

_the last thing he remembered was a Behemoth paw, plunging into his chest, claws digging into the lifeless shell he called a body. and yet it bled still, red pouring out to match his coat. the sight of red became black; solid, empty black, as his consciousness faded. the others would worry for his life, but Auron knew better. he would awaken from this wound, like all others. (he remembered, too, the panicked shouts of his name: the voices belonged to Yuna, and Tidus…) he could not die yet. his duty was not yet done…_  
  
when he awoke, he felt the effects of a weak healing spell, easing into his deep cuts. it was a welcome relief, though he would not readily admit it. he opened his eyes, expecting to see the brunette locks that donned both of his summoners, but Yuna was nowhere to be seen. instead… it was another.  **Tidus**.  
  
Auron grunted as his vision began to unblur, observing the boy hovering over him. “you waste your time. this is unnessecary.”  
  
Tidus looked up quickly, surprised to see him awake. some of the others were concerned whether he would wake up _at all_ … but Tidus wasn’t; no **fiend**  was enough to take down Auron’s ironclad will. he gave a light-hearted chuckle at the protest. “hey, you cleaned up a lot of my scrapes growing up. think of this as returning the favor!”  
  
Auron did not have the heart, nor the energy, to explain that it wasn’t just a matter of pride, or ingratitude. this was _truly_  unnecessary: no wound could gravely injure one who was already **dead**. but Tidus wasn’t ready to hear that truth yet. close… but not quite ready.  
  
besides, the boy seemed proud of himself for his recently acquired knowledge of how to treat a wound. it made him feel useful, to help Auron for a change, instead of the other way around. the man could tell; he knew him well enough to be certain. shooing Tidus away would be pointless anyhow… he was too persistent: he wouldn’t listen.  
  
so he lay still, letting hands unwind his bandaged torso. Yuna had been the boy’s teacher, whether by instruction or merely observing her, during the _many_  times the young man required treatment of his own. but his touch was far less steady than hers, and less gentle– not with contempt, but mere inexperience. Auron grimaced as his exposed wound was scraped with a warm cloth. how cruel, to be immune to death but not injury, nor _pain_ … but he was used to it by now.  
  
Tidus was too distracted to notice his mentors’ reaction, seeming lost in his thoughts. he was beating himself up about _something_. “besides, it… it was kinda my fault. we should’ve left that Behemoth alone, but I thought we could take it. I… I wanted to show off. it was a stupid thing to do, and I’m sorry.” he chastisized himself, before Auron could get to it. his brows were furrowed, in concentration at his task, and inward frustration at himself.  
  
but Auron simply looked up at him, expression unmoved. “if I thought it was a bad idea, I would have said so.”  
  
Tidus was quiet, clearly trying to work out what Auron was saying. (did that mean he’d done something wrong… or not?) at a loss, he was forced to ask. “why… didn’t you?”  
  
“I thought it would be exciting.”  
  
Tidus halted his work, looking up at him in disbelief… but after seeing Auron’s telltale, subtle smirk, he burst out laughing. “see; I knew it! I try to tell every one you’re not the ‘ _wise_ ’ old man they think you are, but nobody believes me!”  
  
“I suppose you know me well”, he remarked, dryly, but his sarcastic tone belied the actual truth of the matter. Tidus had known him before he became Spira’s most admired legendary guardian, renowned for his calm and cool composure. he had seen him, at times, as a troubled, awkward man, bumbling through his duty to a friend. Auron wished it weren’t that way, but it was.  
  
he sat up, having had his fill of Tidus’ torture under the guise of ‘care’. “that’s enough.” he reached for the bandages, intending to rewrap them himself, but Tidus smacked away his hands.  
  
“cut it out! stop being so stubborn already; I **got**  it!” he stared the man down sternly, until Auron resigned, giving a small shrug of his shoulders and what almost resembled a roll of his eyes. “geez… bad attitude… always gettin’ into trouble. you’d think _I_  was the grown up and you were the teenager sometimes, you know?” he sounded amused, but genuinely weary.

Auron was not sympathetic, though he _did_ have to hide an amused smile. but Tidus’ few months of responsibility hardly made up for the  _years_ of acting out he had done under Auron’s watch. “ten more years of this. **then**  you can complain.” just as he patiently guarded him all those years, he waited patiently for Tidus to finish this self-indulgent treatment. (was it to make the injured feel better, or  _himself_? Auron was quite sure he knew the answer, but… he’d let the boy have his moment. for now.) 

Tidus was too focused on finishing up the bandages to justify Auron’s snark with a response. he remembered how Yuna did it, and she did it just right. but a few times, she had been too busy tending to others with more urgent injuries, leaving him in Lulu’s hands. the black mages’ attempts to ‘heal’ him always seemed to hurt more than they did help, tightening the bandages to the point of **pain** … but knowing her, that was probably no mistake. luckily, the discrepancies between them had, _at least_ , taught him the right way to wrap a bandage. when he was done, he sat back, admiring his handiwork. “I think you’re all good now. don’t go doin’ anything crazy, and you should be fine.”

Auron huffed in response, close to a laugh. “good advice. would  _you_ take it?” 

Tidus paused, trying to think of something clever to say. but he could only laugh. “… _nah_. you’re right. it’ll probably be both of us laying here next time.”

Auron’s brows rose in silent, knowing agreement, and he began to pull the sleeves of his jacket over his arms, when Tidus picked up another of his belongings from the ground, holding out light frames in hand.

“oh, yeah– your glasses. can’t forget these: wouldn’t wanna ruin your ‘ _cool guy_ ’ look.” Tidus shot him a warm smirk. “they almost got crushed when the Behemoth fell, but I grabbed ‘em for you; I knew you’d be real upset if something happened to ‘em.” 

Auron felt a brief moment of panic– somehow, lying there in distant pain and distracted by conversation, he hadn’t realized the shades were off at all. he could not remember the last time that he was seen without them, not since his face was permanently marred with a reminder of his failure and his **shame** …

but Tidus had seen his uncovered face _many_  times in his childhood– it was no matter to him. he didn’t gawk, or question… he was accustomed to the sight of the scar. Auron… had forgotten that fact. even more surprising, Tidus had taken the time to save something as seemingly insignificant as a pair glasses, knowing that they meant something to him. truly… the boy _did_  know him too well, whether he knew **that**  or not… 

he accepted the glasses slowly, purposefully, his words coming out just the same. “…thank you.”

Tidus blinked, a little surpised to hear the phrase, said sincerely, from Auron, of all people– usually so closed off, even to him. he wasn’t sure how to react. awkwardly, but warmly, he clapped a hand on Auron’s shoulder. “no prob!” 

he stood, offering a hand to the man (a force of habit, really), before realizing this was _Auron,_  and he wasn’t going to accept his help…

he was surprised, when the stubborn man did just that. his strong hand merged onto Tidus’, used to anchor him as he pulled himself to stand. when he did, his eyes, absent of black rims, met Tidus’, a quiet look of… _something_ passing between them. Tidus didn’t know how to describe it. brown eyes regarded him with… gratitude, maybe? definitely understanding. he didn’t know **what**  it was, but something in Auron’s attitude toward him had changed. like, for the first time, he saw him as more than just a _kid_ – _Jecht’s_ kid; his ward, and responsibility. and… that long awaited recognition felt **good**. really good… 

but it happened so fast that Tidus wondered if he had only imagined such a thing. it was only a second before Auron slipped his glasses on, and coolly rejoined the others, without another word. Yuna quickly approached, eyes darting nervously at his covered injury, and then his face. she looked concerned.

“Sir Auron! are- are you feeling better already? should you be up? ” 

“I am fine.” it was exactly what Tidus expected him to say. then he’d say it was time to move on, and stop worrying about him. that was Auron’s way… or so he thought.

he was surprised, _again_ , when he instead shot a quick glance in Tidus’ direction, and a short nod. “he’s a quick study.”

Yuna looked between them, then smiled, assuming ( _pleased_ ) that her occasional white magic lessons with Tidus had earned Auron’s approval. but Tidus was beaming for a different reason. because he _knew_  that his medicinal training wasn’t what Auron was talking about at all. finally, he understood…

Auron was **proud**  of him; proud of who he’d become, under his tutelage. but it was always ‘show, rather than tell’ with Auron… 

so he’d show it, too. Tidus knew him better than anyone. in those first months after Auron arrived, he had heard him tossing and turning, speaking his nightmares aloud. he was the same man who had to have every joke in Zanarkand explained to him, because so little in that world made sense to him; the man that Tidus had to teach how to use the most _basic_  of electronics, because he’d never seen them before in his life. Spira might know him as the invincible, unflappable Sir Auron… but Tidus _really_  knew him, and he knew what no-one else would accept of their idols: even  _Auron_  needed a hand sometimes. and from then on, he was trusted. **he**  would be there to help him, one guardian to another… 


End file.
